Village Green Antique Mall celebrates 30 years on Main

Myra Jansen stands in her shop Village Green Antiques on Main Street Hendersonville Thursday.

PATRICK SULLIVAN/Times-News

By Gina MaloneTimes-News correspondent

Published: Friday, April 11, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at 4:47 p.m.

Village Green Antique Mall, the first antique mall in Western North Carolina when it opened in 1982, celebrated 32 years in business on April 1, with the last 30 of them spent at 424 N. Main St. in Hendersonville.

"April 1st has been good to me," said owner Myra Jansen. She opened the business April 1, 1982, at the Mary Mills Coxe House, now an inn, on Greenville Highway. Two years later when JCPenney moved out of downtown, she moved into their former spot on April 1, and there she has remained watching Main Street change around her.

"We think the street looks great," she said, citing the nice mix of businesses — restaurants as well as specialty shops.

"We've watched it evolve," she said. "There've been businesses come and go, but we've survived."

One reason for her success, she said, is the "good, professional antique dealers" she works with. At present she has about 20 dealers in the 12,000-square-foot space, most of whom have been with her from the beginning.

Well-established in the antiques business, she points out their "large repeat clientele from all over the country." Much of her business is shipping and delivering items to buyers.

Though there were some in the eastern part of the state, the concept of antique malls — with multiple dealers gathered under one roof — was a new one in the early 1980s. The large building left vacant by JCPenney when it moved to the mall lent itself well to an antique mall.

"It still looks a lot like Penney's," Jansen said.

She did not have to do much in order to move her business in — lower the lighting fixtures, knock down a few walls — and with the square footage, dealers have large individual spaces in which to display their wares. Treasures to be browsed among include furniture, china, glassware, collectibles and books.

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting at the store April 1.

<p>Village Green Antique Mall, the first antique mall in Western North Carolina when it opened in 1982, celebrated 32 years in business on April 1, with the last 30 of them spent at 424 N. Main St. in Hendersonville.</p><p>"April 1st has been good to me," said owner Myra Jansen. She opened the business April 1, 1982, at the Mary Mills Coxe House, now an inn, on Greenville Highway. Two years later when JCPenney moved out of downtown, she moved into their former spot on April 1, and there she has remained watching Main Street change around her.</p><p>"We think the street looks great," she said, citing the nice mix of businesses — restaurants as well as specialty shops.</p><p>"We've watched it evolve," she said. "There've been businesses come and go, but we've survived." </p><p>One reason for her success, she said, is the "good, professional antique dealers" she works with. At present she has about 20 dealers in the 12,000-square-foot space, most of whom have been with her from the beginning.</p><p>Well-established in the antiques business, she points out their "large repeat clientele from all over the country." Much of her business is shipping and delivering items to buyers.</p><p>Though there were some in the eastern part of the state, the concept of antique malls — with multiple dealers gathered under one roof — was a new one in the early 1980s. The large building left vacant by JCPenney when it moved to the mall lent itself well to an antique mall. </p><p>"It still looks a lot like Penney's," Jansen said. </p><p>She did not have to do much in order to move her business in — lower the lighting fixtures, knock down a few walls — and with the square footage, dealers have large individual spaces in which to display their wares. Treasures to be browsed among include furniture, china, glassware, collectibles and books.</p><p>The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting at the store April 1.</p>